Lung Development and Pediatric Diseases Branch

The Cystic Fibrosis Program supports research on the function of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and on how CFTR dysfunction causes lung disease. Relevant research in this area focuses on airway epithelial ion transport, airway surface liquids, animal and cellular models for cystic fibrosis, signaling pathways in airway cells, regulation of mucin expression and secretion, mucociliary clearance of inhaled particles, mechanisms underlying the infectious and inflammatory aspects of cystic fibrosis lung disease, and the development of treatments, including gene-editing approaches. View funding information for the Cystic Fibrosis Program.

The Lung Developmental Biology program supports research on the processes of lung growth and morphogenesis, temporal/spatial relationships of molecular determinants of lung development, genes and molecules that regulate lung development, growth, and regeneration, lung cell biology, and on the therapeutic development and evaluation of lung stem/progenitor cells. View funding information for the Lung Development and Regenerative Biology Program.

The Neonatal and Pediatric Lung Disease / Critical Care program supports research in pulmonary health and disease in neonates, infants, and children, including topics related to lung disease of prematurity, congenital and developmental anomalies of the central airways and the lung, ventilatory control, neonatal and pediatric pulmonary vascular disease, chronic respiratory insufficiency and ventilator dependence due to neuromuscular disease, bronchiolitis in infancy, PARDS, and pulmonary surveillance.  View funding information for the Neonatal and Pediatric Lung Disease / Critical Care Program.

Contact: Aruna Natarajan, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.P., Program Director, aruna.natarajan@nih.gov

Training programs in Pulmonary and Critical Care Research pertain to research training and career development programs for all major research areas of relevance to the Division of Lung Diseases. These training and career development programs include institutional and individual programs for promising pulmonary researchers at the high school, undergraduate, predoctoral, postdoctoral, junior faculty, and established investigator levels.  View funding information for the NHLBI’s training programs.

Contact: Roya Kalantari, Ph.D., Program Director, roya.kalantari@nih.gov

Contact: Marisol Espinoza-Pintucci, Ph.D., Program Director, marisol.espinoza-pintucci@nih.gov